My father Michael Kerrigan was a successful television director, who was the life and soul of the party and always lived life to the fullest.

He thrived off the buzz of live television and the passion he showed was infectious.

I witnessed this first hand one summer after working for him as a runner on set. I loved seeing him work in the gallery behind the scenes during live shows. He often said it was like a conductor leading an orchestra.

From an outsider looking in, dad had it all—a loving family, a nice home and a successful career. But deep down, I think he was very lonely. He found it hard to open up and talk. He was always so good at sorting out other people’s problems, but useless at sorting out his own.

Alcohol soon became dad’s switch off after a long day. I always knew he liked a drink, but I didn’t realize how much it had taken a hold of him until he reached out for help.

It was 4 years in August since Dad passed away—and I think about him every day.

Living by the ocean, I make sure to stay fit and healthy. As I have seen first-hand what can happen if you don’t look after yourself or have a hobby to focus on.

I started The Beach Life with a goal to help people lead a longer, happier and healthier life. I want to make a difference in people’s lives through educating them on how to eat properly, to move more, and to make time to switch off and do something away from work.

In dad’s honour, I completed an Ironman in Cairns and raised over $6000 for a mental health charity. This is only the beginning, as I want to continue to do more to help as many people as I can.

What happened to dad has made me much more aware that no matter who you are, this can affect anyone.

Richard. 

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